Methods and systems for attaching tissue to bone

ABSTRACT

A system and method for attaching tissue to bone are provided. In one embodiment, a system for attaching tissue to bone includes a suture, suture anchor, inserter tool, drill, and drill guide having an outer guide and an inner guide. A method for attaching tissue to bone includes attaching a suture to tissue, nesting the suture in a notch on the distal end of the outer guide, passing the suture through a lumen formed in the outer guide, and inserting an inner guide in a lumen formed in the outer guide. The drill guide protects the suture from rotational movement of the drill and allows a user to maintain alignment between the drill guide and the drilled hole. As a result, a suture anchor can be more easily positioned within the drilled hole.

FIELD

The present invention relates to methods and systems for attachingtissue to bone.

BACKGROUND

The complete or partial detachment of ligaments, tendons and/or othersoft tissues from their associated bones within the body are relativelycommonplace injuries, particularly among athletes. Such injuries aregenerally the result of excessive stresses being placed on thesetissues. By way of example, tissue detachment may occur as the result ofan accident such as a fall, over-exertion during a work-relatedactivity, or during the course of an athletic event. In the case of apartial detachment, the injury will frequently heal itself, if givensufficient time and if care is taken not to expose the injury to furtherundue stress. In the case of complete detachment, however, surgery isoften needed to re-attach the soft tissue to its associated bone.

Numerous devices are currently available to re-attach soft tissue tobone. Examples of such currently-available devices include screws,staples, suture anchors and tacks. In soft tissue re-attachmentprocedures utilizing screws, the detached soft tissue is typically movedback into its original position over the bone. Then the screw is screwedthrough the soft tissue and into the bone, with the shank and head ofthe screw holding the soft tissue to the bone. Similarly, in soft tissuere-attachment procedures utilizing staples, the detached soft tissue istypically moved back into its original position over the bone. Then thestaple is driven through the soft tissue and into the bone, with thelegs and bridge of the staple holding the soft tissue to the bone.

In soft tissue re-attachment procedures utilizing suture anchors, ananchor-receiving hole is drilled into the bone, through a drill guide,at the desired point of tissue re-attachment. Next, a suture anchor isdeployed through the drill guide and into the hole using an appropriateinstallation tool. This effectively locks the suture to the bone, withthe free end(s) of the suture extending out of the bone for attachmentto soft tissue. The free ends of the suture are passed through or aroundthe soft tissue and are used to secure the soft tissue to the bone.

While current suture anchoring methods are effective in anchoring softtissue to bone, it can be difficult to deploy the suture anchor into theanchor-receiving hole, especially when a knotless suture anchor is used.For example, after the hole is formed in bone and the drill is removedfrom the surgical site, it can be difficult for a surgeon to locate thehole and navigate muscle and other bone to gain access to it. Even afterthe location of the hole is confirmed, it can be difficult to determinethe angle of the hole. It is important that the location and angle ofthe drilled hole is accurately identified because forcing a sutureanchor into the hole at an improper angle will often cause the anchor tofail. This can increase the time required to perform the tissueattachment procedure and increase costs.

Accordingly, there is a need for improved methods and systems forattaching tissue to bone.

SUMMARY

A system for attaching soft tissue to bone is disclosed herein. Ingeneral, the system includes a suture, suture anchor, and drill guide.The suture can have proximal and distal ends and a suture anchor canhave an aperture for receiving a suture. In one embodiment, the drillguide comprises an outer drill guide and an inner drill guide. The outerdrill guide can have a lumen formed therein that extends from a proximalend to a distal end. The inner drill guide can also have an inner lumenformed therein that extends from a proximal end to a distal end of theinner drill guide. Additionally, the inner drill guide can be configuredto be removably and replaceably positioned within the lumen of the outerdrill guide. When the inner drill guide is inserted into the lumen ofthe outer drill guide, the inner drill guide and outer drill guide areconfigured to retain at least a portion of the suture therebetween, andthe suture is configured to slide relative to the inner and outer drillguides. In another embodiment, when the inner drill guide is insertedinto the lumen of the outer drill guide, the distal end of the innerdrill guide can terminate distal to the distal end of the outer drillguide. In yet another embodiment, when the inner drill guide is insertedinto the lumen of the outer drill guide, the distal end of the innerdrill guide can terminate proximal to the distal end of the outer drillguide. In another embodiment, the distal end of the outer drill guidecan include at least one slot formed in a side wall thereof andextending proximally from the distal end.

The suture anchor and the drill guide can have a variety of otherfeatures. For example, the outer guide can further include at least oneoptional viewing window positioned adjacent to the at least one slot.Additionally, the distal end of the outer guide can have a plurality ofsurface features for engaging bone. In another embodiment, at least onebone engaging feature can be disposed on an outer surface of the sutureanchor. In yet another embodiment, a proximal end of the inner guide canbe configured to mate with the proximal end of the handle disposed onthe outer guide.

The system can include a variety of other devices, such as a cannula,threader, and drill tool. The drill tool can be configured to beremovably and replaceably positioned within the inner lumen of the innerdrill guide, and a distal end of the drill tool can have a bone cuttingtip disposed thereon. The threading tool can be configured to threadterminal ends of the suture through the lumen formed in the sutureanchor. The cannula can have a central lumen that is configured toreceive the outer guide therein.

A method of attaching soft tissue to bone is also disclosed herein. Inone embodiment, a suture can be passed through tissue at a desiredlocation within a patient's body such that the suture extends throughthe tissue and the first and second terminal ends of the suture arepositioned outside of the patient's body. The outer guide can bepositioned within the patient such that a distal end of the outer guideis located adjacent to bone at a location that will receive a sutureanchor and such that a portion of suture extends through a central lumenof the outer guide. The suture can be attached to a suture anchor whileterminal ends of the suture remain positioned outside of the patient'sbody. The inner guide can be inserted through the central lumen of theouter guide such that a portion of the suture is positioned between anouter wall of the inner guide and an inner wall of the outer guide. Thebone drill can be inserted through a central lumen in the inner guideand can form a hole at a desired location in the bone and subsequently,the bone drill and the inner guide can be removed. While the outer guideis maintained in position surrounding the hole and in contact with bone,the suture anchor can be passed through the outer guide and implantedwithin the hole.

The method can include a variety of other steps. For example, in oneembodiment, when the outer guide is positioned within the patient, aportion of the suture adjacent to the distal end of the outer guide isslidably nested in a notch that extends proximally from the distal endof the outer guide. In another embodiment, when the inner guide isinserted into the outer guide, the distal end of the inner guideterminates proximal to the distal end of the outer guide. This ensuresthat the suture can pass through the notch rather than being pinchedbetween the distal end of the drill guide and bone. In anotherembodiment, attaching the suture to the suture anchor is accomplished bypassing a portion of the suture from a position outside of the sutureanchor, through an opening at a distal end of the suture anchor, and upthrough a central lumen within the suture anchor. In addition, attachingthe suture to the suture anchor can be performed prior to inserting thebone drill through the central lumen in the inner guide. In yet anotherembodiment, the method includes tensioning the suture to draw the tissueinto a desired position with respect to the bone. In another embodiment,positioning an outer guide within the patient includes passing a portionof the suture through the central lumen of the outer guide until theterminal ends of the suture are positioned outside of the outer guide.In another embodiment, positioning the outer guide within the patientincludes positioning the outer guide through a cannula inserted in thepatient. In yet another embodiment, when the suture anchor is passedthrough the outer guide, a longitudinal axis of the suture anchor issubstantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the anchor receivinghole. The method can further comprise trimming the suture adjacent to aproximal end of the suture anchor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be more fully understood from the following detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of a suture anchor;

FIG. 2 is a side view of one embodiment of a drill guide having an outerguide and an inner guide;

FIG. 3A is a side view of the distal end of the outer guide showing anotch and viewing window;

FIG. 3B is a side view of the distal end of the outer guide rotated by90° and showing another viewing window;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the inner guide being inserted intothe outer guide;

FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of an inserter tool mated to thesuture anchor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a drill, according to one exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart that generally illustrates a method for attachingtissue to bone, according to one exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a side view of a suture attached to tissue and having limbsextending through the outer guide;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the outer guide of FIG. 8 with the inner guidebeing inserted therethrough;

FIG. 10 is a side view of a distal portion of the drill guide withsuture limbs extending through a notch formed in the outer guide;

FIG. 11 is a side view of the drill guide with the anchor of FIG. 1being attached to the inserter tool and having a suture threadedtherethrough;

FIG. 12 is a side view of the drill of FIG. 6 being inserted through theouter guide;

FIG. 13 is a side view of a distal portion of the drill guide showingthe threaded suture anchor partially seated within the drilled hole;

FIG. 14 is a side view of the drill guide of FIG. 12 with the anchorfully seated within the drilled hole; and

FIG. 15 is a side view of the suture anchor after the terminal ends ofthe suture are trimmed and the outer guide is removed from theattachment site;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain exemplary embodiments will now be described to provide anoverall understanding of the principles of the structure, function,manufacture, and use of the devices and methods disclosed herein. One ormore examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that the devices andmethods specifically described herein and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments and thatthe scope of the present invention is defined solely by the claims. Thefeatures illustrated or described in connection with one exemplaryembodiment may be combined with the features of other embodiments. Suchmodifications and variations are intended to be included within thescope of the present invention.

Systems and methods for attaching tissue to bone are disclosed herein.In one embodiment, a system for attaching tissue to bone includes asuture, suture anchor, inserter tool, drill, and a drill guide set. Thedrill guide set comprises an outer drill guide and an inner drill guidethat is configured to be removably and replaceably received within alumen of the outer drill guide. The inner drill guide also has a lumenthat extends longitudinally therethrough and that is configured toreceive a drill. In one embodiment, the outer drill guide can include aslot or notch extending proximally from the distal end thereof that isconfigured to receive a portion of suture therein. The notch protectsthe suture from rotational movement of the drill and prevents the suturefrom being trapped between an outer surface edge of the outer drillguide and adjacent bone.

A method for attaching soft tissue to bone is also provided. This methodincludes attaching a suture to tissue, passing a suture through a lumenformed in the outer drill guide, and inserting an inner drill guide intothe lumen of the outer drill guide. The method further includesinserting a drill through a lumen in the inner drill guide, removing theinner drill guide, threading an anchor with the suture, and inserting itthrough the outer guide. The anchor and its attached suture are thenseated in the prepared hole and the outer drill guide is removed. Anadvantage of this method is that alignment between the drilled hole andthe drill guide can be maintained such that a suture anchor can be moreeasily inserted into the drilled hole.

A variety of tools can be used in practicing the method for attachingsoft tissue to bone that is described herein. The types and designs forthe various tools that assist in practicing this method are firstdescribed, followed by a discussion of the method for attaching softtissue to bone.

Suture anchors having a variety of different constructions can be usedwith the method disclosed herein. By way of example, FIG. 1 illustratesone embodiment of a suture anchor 10. As shown, the suture anchor 10 isgenerally elongate with a longitudinal axis L extending between aproximal end 10 a and a distal end 10 b. The suture anchor 10 can alsohave at least one feature, such as threads 12, configured to engagebone. The suture anchor 10 can also have features for receiving a suturetherein. By way of non-limiting example, the suture anchor 10 of FIG. 1can have an inner lumen 14 that extends between proximal and distal ends10 a, 10 b, along a longitudinal axis L of the anchor 10, for receivinga suture. In another embodiment, an aperture (not shown) can extend atleast partially through the anchor 10 along an axis transverse tolongitudinal axis L. As will also be appreciated by a person skilled inthe art, a suture anchor can alternatively have one or more apertures oropenings disposed at any location on the anchor, such as on a sidewallof the anchor. Such apertures can form a pathway for receiving a suturethat can be curved, or of any other shape. The suture anchor 10 can alsobe a knotless suture anchor that allows a user to thread the anchor withsuture and form a loop without tying a knot. By way of non-limitingexample, a suture (not shown) can be threaded through the anchor byinserting one terminal end of the suture through the proximal end 10 aof the anchor, passing it distally, moving around a distal end 10 b ofthe suture anchor, and out through a sidewall of the anchor. A suturethreader (not shown) can also be used to thread the suture throughsuture anchor 10. The suture anchor 10 can also have a mating feature 16positioned on the proximal end 10 a of the anchor and configured to matewith a distal end of an inserter tool. A person skilled in the art willappreciate that the suture anchor can have a variety of configurationsthat can be threaded with a suture and engage bone.

A variety of drill guides can be used. For example, a drill guide set 20is able to protect a suture during rotation of a drill that is insertedin the drill guide 20. As shown in FIG. 2, an exemplary drill guide set20 generally comprises an outer guide 22 and an inner guide 24. Both theouter and inner guides 22, 24 are elongate and have proximal ends 22 a,24 a and distal ends 22 b, 24 b with an inner lumen 26, 28 extendingtherebetween, respectively. The inner guide 24 can be configured to beremovably and replaceably inserted into the lumen 26 formed in the outerguide 22. In the illustrated embodiment, a handle 30 is positioned on aproximal portion of the outer guide 22. The handle 30 can be elongatewith a generally triangular cross-section and a plurality of surfacefeatures 32 that can provide friction between a user's hand and thehandle. The proximal end of the handle 22 a can also include a matingfeature 34 for coupling the inner guide 24 to the outer guide 22, aswill be described below. In the illustrated embodiment, the matingfeature 34 is a recess formed on the proximal end 22 a of the outerguide 22 that is mateable with a protrusion 36 formed on a proximal end24 a of the inner guide 24. A person skilled in the art will appreciatethat the handle can have a variety of configurations and a variety ofmating features can be used to couple the inner guide to the outerguide.

The outer guide can include additional features, such as a notch and aviewing window. As shown in FIG. 3A, the distal end 22 b of the outerguide 22 can have a notch 40 configured to receive limbs of a suture asthey exit lumen 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the notch 40 extendsproximally from the distal end 22 b of the outer guide 22 and iselongate with two opposed sides 40 a, 40 b. In one embodiment, the notch40 can terminate in an end 40 c to reduce the risk of the suture beingtorn or damaged during tensioning of the suture. While the illustratedembodiment has another notch (not shown) positioned 180° offset from thenotch 40, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that the outerguide 22 can include any number of notches positioned at any number oflocations around the outer guide. A person skilled in the art will alsoappreciate that the outer guide 22 can have alternative features forprotecting the suture from being torn or damaged during tensioning, andas a result, the outer guide 22 need not have notches. The distal end 22b of the outer guide 22 can also have a plurality of viewing windowsspaced about the outer guide 22 that allow viewing of the inserter toolwhen the suture anchor is inserted into the drill guide. In oneembodiment, the viewing window 42 shown in FIG. 3A is substantiallyelliptical and has a major axis that extends along a longitudinal axisof the outer guide 22. In this embodiment, four viewing windows can beprovided. For example, smaller window 42 can be positioned proximal tothe notch 40, and it can have a corresponding smaller window (not shown)that is directly opposite to it. A pair of larger windows can also beprovided. In particular, larger window 44 can be positioned 90° offsetfrom the notch 40, and it can also have a corresponding larger window(not shown) that is directly opposite to it. As will be appreciated by aperson skilled in the art, the smaller window 42 can be positionedrelative to the notch 40 by a predetermined distance that will enableviewing of a first laser line and a second laser line formed on ainserter tool within the windows 42 at certain stages of a surgicalprocedure, as discussed below. In particular, the viewing windows can bespaced at a predetermined distance from the distal end of the outerguide 22 such that when the inserter tool is inserted into the outerguide 22 and the suture anchor is partially seated in the drilled hole,the first laser line is visible within at least one of the viewingwindows. The placement of viewing windows can also be such that when theanchor is fully seated in the drilled hole, the second laser line isvisible in at least one of the viewing windows. A person skilled in theart will appreciate that the viewing windows can have a variety ofconfigurations and any number of viewing windows can positioned atnumerous locations about the outer guide.

A plurality of engagement features 23 can also be formed on the distalend 22 b of the outer guide 22, serving to help maintain the guide in adesired position on bone. As will be appreciated by a person skilled inthe art, such surface features can allow the outer guide tosuperficially penetrate the bone surface, such as by formingindentations to help seat the outer guide in bone.

As explained, the inner guide can be configured to be removably andreplaceably inserted into the lumen 26 formed in the outer guide 22.FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-section of the drill guide 20 with the innerguide 24 being inserted into the outer guide 22. As shown, the outerguide 22 has an effective length greater than the effective length ofthe inner guide. In other words, when the inner guide 24 is operativelydisposed within the outer guide 22, the portion of the inner guide 24that is within the outer guide 22 has a length that is less than thelength of the outer guide 22. Typically, the distal end 24 b of theinner guide 24 terminates proximal to the distal end 22 b of the outerguide 22. However, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that theouter and inner guides can have a variety of other configurations, andthat the outer guide can have an effective length less than or equal tothe inner guide. As shown, the inner guide 24 can also be configured tobe positioned within the lumen 26 of the outer guide 22 such that a gapis formed between an outer wall of inner guide 24 and an inner wall ofouter guide 22. This gap provides a space within which the suture 100can reside and slide freely relative to the inner guide 24 and outerguide 22. In use, the distal end 24 b of the inner guide 24 can beinserted through the proximal end 22 a of the handle 30 until theprotrusion 36 on the proximal end 24 a of the inner guide 24 is seatedin recess 34 formed on proximal end 22 a of the handle 30. When theinner and outer guides 24, 22 are in this position, the distal end 24 bof the inner guide 24 is just proximal or just distal to the transverseend 40 c of the notch 40 as shown in FIG. 10. This ensures that asufficient portion of the notch 40 is left open and unobstructed suchthat a suture can pass between the opposed sides 40 a, 40 b of the notch40. And because the inner guide 24 extends along a substantial portionof the outer guide 22, the limbs of the suture proximal to the notch 40are still protected between the inner and outer guides 24, 22. A personskilled in the art will appreciate that a variety of other features canbe used to indicate that the distal end of the inner guide is positionedadjacent to the notch, such as having one or more markings on the innerand outer guides, and/or other components of the system, and a varietyof mating features can be used to couple the inner guide to the outerguide.

Although a variety of suture anchor inserter tools can be used, anexemplary suture anchor inserter tool is shown in FIG. 5. Inserter tool60 is elongate and is configured to be positioned within the lumen 26 ofouter guide 22. The inserter tool 60 can have a length greater than thelength of the outer guide 22 such that the anchor 10 can be deployedinto an anchor receiving hole with a proximal end 60 a of the inserter60 being positioned outside of the drill guide 20. The distal end 60 bof the inserter 60 can be configured to couple to a proximal end 10 a ofa suture anchor 10, such as by a mating feature (not shown) thatcorresponds to the recess 16 formed at the proximal end 10 a of theanchor 10 and is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the anchor 10. Asshown, the inserter tool 60 can further include a first laser line 62and a second laser line 64 positioned proximal to the first laser line62. The first laser line 62 and the second laser line 64 can be spaced apredetermined distance from the distal end of the inserter tool 60 suchthat laser lines 62, 64 are visible within viewing windows of outerguide 22 at certain stages of a surgical procedure, as will be explainedbelow.

While a variety of drills can be used to form a hole in bone, anexemplary embodiment is provided in FIG. 6. As shown, a drill 70 iselongate and has proximal and distal ends 70 a, 70 b. The distal end 70b of the drill 70 can include a cutting tip 72 configured to penetratebone. The illustrated cutting tip 72 has a threaded outer surface thatcan be driven through bone and divert the drilled material away from thehole. The length of the drill 70 is typically greater than the length ofthe drill guide 20 such that when the drill 70 is inserted in the drillguide 20, the distal end 70 b of the drill 70 can be advanced throughbone and a handle 74 disposed on the proximal end 70 a of the drill 70can be grasped by a user. In the illustrated embodiment, the proximalend 70 a of the drill 70 can be manually rotated by a user to therebyadvance the cutting tip 72 through bone. Alternatively, a motor can beused to power the drill 70 to cause rotation of the cutting tip 72. Aperson skilled in the art will appreciate that the drill can have avariety of configurations that can form a hole in bone.

The devices described above can be used to perform a surgical procedurefor attaching soft tissue to bone. One skilled in the art willunderstand that the procedure is ideally a minimally invasive procedure.A flow chart illustrating the general method for attaching tissue tobone is provided in FIG. 7. As one skilled in the art will appreciate,the procedure usually begins by preparing the patient for surgery andmaking one or more appropriately sized incisions at a desired location.In a minimally invasive procedure, one or more cannulas (not shown) canbe positioned in the incisions to provide access to the surgical site.One skilled in the art will also understand that one or more viewingdevices, e.g., scopes, can be placed in one of the incisions to allowmedical personnel to view the surgical site from outside the body.Although a cannula is typically used, for clarity, the embodiments shownin FIGS. 8-15 illustrate the drill guide 20 being advanced directly intoan incision, without being inserted through a cannula.

Once the patient is prepared for surgery, a length of suture 100 ispassed into the patient's body and passed through soft tissue 200 thatis to be surgically reattached to bone 300. As shown in FIG. 8, thesuture 100 can be passed through tissue 200 such that the terminal ends100 a, 100 b are positioned outside of the patient's body. One skilledin the art will appreciate that the suture can be passed through thetissue using any known surgical technique, such as by mattress and cinchloop methods. With the suture so positioned, the outer guide 22 ispositioned within the surgical site with the suture 100 being positionedwithin the lumen 26 of the outer guide 22. This can be accomplished by avariety of well known techniques, including by passing the outer guide22 over the suture 100 from a position outside of the patient's body.Alternatively, a suture passer (not shown) can be inserted into thelumen 26 of the outer drill guide 22 to retrieve the limbs of the suture100. In particular, the limbs of the suture 100 can be grasped and movedproximally through the outer drill guide 22 until the terminal ends ofthe suture 100 a, 100 b are positioned outside of the outer drill guide22.

FIG. 8 illustrates outer guide 22 positioned at the surgical site withthe suture 100 extending therethrough. Optionally, once the suture 100is positioned within the lumen 26 of outer guide 22, the suture limbsadjacent to the distal end 22 b of the outer guide 22 can be passedthrough the notch 40 formed on the outer guide 22 to prevent the suturelimbs from being pinched between the engagement features formed on thedistal end 22 b of the outer guide 22 and the adjacent bone 300. Forexample, this can be accomplished by rotating the outer guide 22 untilthe suture limbs are positioned within the notch 40. Proper positioningcan be confirmed visually and/or by tactile sensation. One skilled inthe art will recognize that the method can also be practiced using anouter guide that does not include a notch. Thus, in another embodiment(not shown), the inner guide 24 can be inserted into the lumen formed inthe outer guide 22 such that the distal end 24 b of the inner guide 24terminates distal to the distal end 22 b of the outer guide 22. With theinner and outer guides 24, 22 so positioned, the limbs of the suture canextend proximally along an outer surface of the inner guide 24 and willthereby be protected from being pinched between the outer guide 22 andthe bone.

As shown in FIG. 9, after the suture 100 is positioned within the outerguide 22, the inner guide 24 can be inserted into the lumen 26 formed ofthe outer guide 22 until the proximal end of the inner guide 24 is matedwith a proximal end of the outer guide 22. As will be appreciated by aperson skilled in the art, the inner and outer guides 24, 22 can haveother features that indicate that the distal end of the inner guide 24is positioned adjacent to the notch 40 without requiring a proximal endof the outer guide 22 to be mated to a proximal end of the inner guide24. During insertion of the inner guide 24 into the outer guide 22, careshould be taken to position the suture 100 between the outer surface ofthe inner guide 24 and the inner surface of the outer guide 22. Thisconfiguration serves to protect the limbs of the suture 100 duringsubsequent drilling, thereby decreasing the risk of damage to the suture100. Following coupling of the inner guide 24 to the outer guide 22, thedistal end 22 b of the outer guide 22 is positioned to abut bone 300, asshown in FIG. 10. As so positioned, the suture adjacent to the distalend 22 b of the outer guide 22 is arranged to pass through the notch 40with the distal end 24 b of the inner guide 24 being positioned adjacentto the notch 40.

With the inner and outer guides 24, 22 so arranged, and the terminalends of the suture 100 positioned outside of the drill guide 20, thesuture can be threaded onto the suture anchor 10 using a threader tool(not shown) while the anchor remains outside of the patient's body. Aswill be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, the threader toolcan have a variety of configurations. In one embodiment, the suture 100is threaded onto the anchor 10 prior to drilling of the bone hole toprevent inadvertent movement of the drill guide 20 between the drillingand anchor insertion steps. Prior to or after threading, the threadedsuture anchor 10 can be mated to a distal end 60 b of the inserter tool60, as shown in FIG. 11. Optionally, the portions of the suture 100between the suture anchor 10 and the terminal ends 100 a, 100 b can besecured in clamping tool 80, which can prevent the suture 100 from beingunintentionally pulled out from the anchor 10.

With the inner and outer guides 24, 22 so positioned, and the suture 100optionally threaded onto the suture anchor 10, a drill 70, having acutting tip 72, can be inserted through the lumen 28 formed in the innerguide 24, as shown in FIG. 12. The cutting tip 72 can be rotated,manually or by a motor, to advance the cutting tip 72 through bone andform a hole (not shown). During drilling, a user can grasp the handle 30of the drill guide 20, such as with two hands, to maintain the positionof the drill guide 20 relative to the hole. After drilling, the drill 70and the inner guide 24 can be removed from the lumen 26 of the outerguide 22. The inserter tool 60 can then be inserted through the lumen 26of the outer guide 22 to deliver the suture anchor 10 to the hole 400.During this procedure, care should be taken to maintain the outer drillguide 22 in position while the inserter tool 60 is moved distally towardthe drilled hole 400. As the inserter tool 60 is passed through theouter guide 22, the anchor 10 can slide along the suture 100 so that theterminal ends 100 a, 100 b remain outside of the patient's body.Continued alignment between the outer drill guide 22 and hole 400 as thesuture anchor 10 is inserted ensures that a longitudinal axis L of theanchor 10 is aligned with the longitudinal axis L′ of the hole, as shownin FIG. 13. Such alignment minimizes the risk of inserting the anchor 10at an improper angle, which can damage the bone anchor 10 and/or causethe anchor 10 to fail.

A user can monitor the position of the anchor 10 within the outer guide22 using a scoping device that is focused on one or more of the viewingwindows, such as viewing window 42. In particular, FIG. 13 illustratesthe distal end of the inserter tool 60 having a first laser line 62formed on its outer surface such that when the anchor 10 is partiallyseated in the hole 400, the laser line 62 is visible from at least oneviewing window. The positioning of the laser line 62 relative to thefeatures on the outer guide 22, such as the notches and viewing windows,permits indirect monitoring of the positioning of the anchor 10 withinthe drilled hole 400. By way of non-limiting example, FIG. 13 shows thatwhen the anchor 10 is partially seated in the drilled hole 400, thefirst laser line 62 can be visible in viewing window 42. Because thelength of the anchor 10 and the positioning of the laser line 62 on theinserter tool 60 are known, when the first laser line 62 is located inthe viewing window 42, the depth of the anchor 10 within the drilledhole 400 can be easily estimated. The positioning of the first laserline 62 within the window 42 can be confirmed using any visualizationtechnique known in the art.

Once the anchor 10 is partially seated within the drilled hole 400, theterminal ends 100 a, 100 b of the suture 100 can be pulled to tensionthe suture 100 and thereby pull the attached tissue 200 closer to theanchor 10, and thus, to the position of bone 300 to which it is to besecured. As will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, thesuture can also be tensioned prior to the anchor 10 being partiallyseated or fully seated in the drilled bole. The anchor 10 can be driveninto the hole 400, such as by rotating and/or tapping the proximal end60 a of the inserter tool 60. This action serves to lock the suture 100between an outer surface of the anchor 10 and an inner surface of thedrilled hole 400. As will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art,the anchor 10 can lock the suture 100 in other ways, such as using apush-lock. As shown in FIG. 14, the second laser line 64 formed on theinserter tool 60 can be visible through at least one viewing window,e.g. window 24, once the anchor is fully seated within the hole 400. Thepositioning of the second laser line 64 can also be confirmed using anyvisualization technique known in the art. After the anchor 10 is fullyseated in the hole 400, the outer drill guide 22 can be removed from thesurgical site and the ends of the suture 100 a, 100 b can be trimmed andsecured, as shown in FIG. 15.

The systems and methods described above can be used for a variety oftissue attachment procedures including, by way of non-limiting example,arthroscopic shoulder surgery. For example, the suture can be passedthrough the labrum and the drill guide can also be used to lever thehumeral head away from the glenoid cavity to gain access to the glenoidrim prior to drilling the bone.

One skilled in the art will appreciate further features and advantagesof the invention based on the above-described embodiments. Accordingly,the invention is not to be limited by what has been particularly shownand described, except as indicated by the appended claims. Allpublications and references cited herein are expressly incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for attaching soft tissue to bone,comprising: a suture having proximal and distal ends; a suture anchorhaving at least one aperture for receiving a suture; an outer drillguide having a lumen formed therein and extending from a proximal end toa distal end thereof; and an inner drill guide having an inner lumenformed therein and extending from a proximal end to a distal endthereof, the inner drill guide being configured to be removably andreplaceably positioned within the lumen of the outer drill guide;wherein when the inner drill guide is inserted into the lumen of theouter drill guide, the inner and outer drill guides are configured toretain at least a portion of the suture therebetween such that thesuture is able to slide relative to the inner and outer drill guides. 2.The system of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the outer drill guideincludes at least one slot formed in a side wall thereof and extendingproximally from the distal end.
 3. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising a drill tool configured to be removably and replaceablypositioned within the inner lumen of the inner drill guide, and a distalend of the drill tool having a bone cutting tip disposed thereon.
 4. Thesystem of claim 2, wherein the outer guide further includes at least oneviewing window positioned adjacent to the at least one slot.
 5. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the outer guide has aplurality of surface features for engaging bone.
 6. The system of claim1, further comprising a threading tool configured to thread terminalends of the suture through the lumen formed in the suture anchor.
 7. Thesystem of claim 1, further comprising a cannula having a central lumenconfigured to receive the outer guide therein.
 8. The system of claim 1,wherein when the inner drill guide is inserted into the lumen of theouter drill guide, the distal end of the inner drill guide terminatesdistal to the distal end of the outer drill guide.
 9. The system ofclaim 1, wherein at least one bone engaging feature is disposed on anouter surface of the suture anchor.
 10. The system of claim 8, wherein aproximal end of the inner guide is configured to mate with the proximalend of the handle disposed on the outer guide.
 11. A method of attachingsoft tissue to bone, comprising: passing a suture through tissue at adesired location within a patient's body such that the suture extendsthrough the tissue and the that first and second terminal ends of thesuture are positioned outside of the patient's body; positioning anouter guide within the patient such that a distal end of the outer guideis located adjacent to bone at a location that will receive a sutureanchor and such that a portion of the suture extends through a centrallumen of the outer guide; attaching the suture to a suture anchor whileterminal ends of the suture remain positioned outside of the patient'sbody; inserting an inner guide through the central lumen of the outerguide such that a portion of the suture is positioned between an outerwall of the inner guide and an inner wall of the outer guide; insertinga bone drill through a central lumen in the inner guide and forming ahole at a desired location in the bone and subsequently removing thebone drill and the inner guide; and while maintaining the outer guide inposition surrounding the hole and in contact with bone, passing thesuture anchor through the outer guide and implanting the suture anchorwithin the hole.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein when the outerguide is positioned within the patient, a portion of the suture adjacentto the distal end of the outer guide is slidably nested in a notch thatextends proximally from the distal end of the outer guide.
 13. Themethod of claim 11, wherein when the inner guide is inserted into theouter guide, the distal end of the inner guide terminates proximal tothe distal end of the outer guide.
 14. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising tensioning the suture to draw the tissue into a desiredposition with respect to the bone.
 15. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising trimming the suture adjacent to a proximal end of the sutureanchor.
 16. The method of claim 11, wherein attaching the suture to thesuture anchor is accomplished by passing the suture from a positionoutside of the suture anchor, through an opening at a distal end of thesuture anchor, and up through a central lumen within the suture anchor.17. The method of claim 11, wherein attaching the suture to the sutureanchor is performed prior to inserting the bone drill through thecentral lumen in the inner guide.
 18. The method of claim 11, whereinpositioning an outer guide within the patient includes passing thesuture through the central lumen of the outer guide until the terminalends of the suture are positioned outside of the outer guide.
 19. Themethod of claim 11, wherein when the suture anchor is passed through theouter guide, a longitudinal axis of the suture anchor is substantiallyaligned with a longitudinal axis of the hole.
 20. The method of claim11, wherein positioning the outer guide within the patient includespositioning the outer guide through a cannula inserted in the patient.21. The method of claim 11, wherein when the inner guide is insertedinto the outer guide, the distal end of the inner guide terminatesdistal to the distal end of the outer guide.